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Kashmir Occupation

'Build a bunker': Indian police warn people in Kashmir to prepare for nuclear war

People in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir have been told to build bomb-proof basements and gather food and water for a possible nuclear war.
A series of deadly skirmishes along the cease-fire line in recent weeks has heightened tensions between India and Pakistan - both of which have nuclear weapons.
However officials will not confirm why they are now ordering people in the region to pack two-weeks' worth of essentials.

Tensions in the region have intensified after a number of violent clashes between India and Pakistan
The notice, published on Monday by the Kashmir police in the Greater Kashmir newspaper, advised people to build toilet-equipped basements large enough to house the entire family for two weeks.
If there is no basement, residents should construct bunkers in their front yards, the notice advised.

The shelters should be stocked with candles, battery-operated lights and radios and non-perishable food and water that is regularly replaced to ensure it is fresh, it said.
During an attack, it advises drivers to dive out of their cars toward the blast to save themselves from being crushed by their soon-to-be tumbling vehicles. It also warns residents to keep contaminated people out of their shelters.

'Expect some initial disorientation as the blast wave may blow down and carry away many prominent and familiar features,' it advises.
Yoginder Kaul, inspector-general at the civil defence and state disaster response force, said that it was a 'normal exercise to raise general awareness among (the) public about disaster management.'
'It has nothing to do with anything, and it should not be connected with anything,' Kaul said.

Residents have been told to build bunkers or make their basements bomb-proof, and stockpile food
Both India and Pakistan claim the divided Kashmir region in its entirety and have fought two wars over it.
Earlier this month, three Pakistani soldiers and two Indian soldiers were killed in the worst bout of fighting in Kashmir since a cease-fire accord was signed by the countries in 2003.
In light of the violence, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Sunday he was reviewing future ties with Pakistan.
The nuclear war advisory and its timing surprised many residents in Srinagar, the main city in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
'This is fuelling an atmosphere of fear. Educating people is fine but not this brazen way,' said Fayaz Ahmed, a local resident.
The lengthy notice also provided advice on how to survive attacks with chemical and biological weapons.

Turkey To Send OIC's Fact-Finding Mission In IOK For Exposing Indian Army Brutalities

September 21, 2016
UNITED NATIONS: (APP) Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday exchanged views on regional situation in South Asia as well as the Middle East, particularly in the Indian Occupied Kashmir, Syria and Iraq.

President Erdogan said that Turkey will make arrangements for sending a fact finding mission to Indian Occupied Kashmir in the capacity of the Chair of human rights commission of the OIC Contact Group.

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the 71st UN General Assembly session in New York. This was the first meeting between both the leaders since the failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15, 2016.

The Prime Minister was assisted by Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Syed Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, among others.

Prime Minister Sharif conveyed the sense of relief and strong sentiment of support on behalf of Pakistani people to President Erdogan on his successful handling of the coup.

Nawaz Sharif was among the first world leaders to call the Turkish President and express Pakistan's support and solidarity with the democratically elected government and the people of Turkey while the coup was being thwarted.

The Prime Minister reiterated strong support for the people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir who have been the victims of brutal atrocities at the hands of Indian occupation forces for decades.

He shared the latest situation in Kashmir, especially the uprising that has unfolded in recent months as a result of barbaric Indian acts of violence against innocent Kashmiris and gross human rights abuses at the state level.

Prime Minister Sharif thanked the Turkish President for his support.

The Turkish President said, "We are friends forever; Turkey and Pakistan are inseparable countries."

The Prime Minister conveyed condolences to the Turkish President on the recent terrorist incidents in various cities across Turkey that had led to the loss of precious human lives.

He expressed hope that the brave Turkish brethren will be able to overcome these challenges soon.

President Erdogan said Turkey and Pakistan have always been and will continue to remain strong and steadfast partners in bringing peace and progress in their respective regions as well as in the Muslim world.

The Prime Minister hailed the positive contribution of Turkish companies who had invested in infrastructure and services sector in Pakistan. He invited Turkish firms to enhance their investment in Pakistan.

While highlighting the significance of Pakistan-Turkey Free Trade Agreement, the Prime Minister stressed upon the need for finalizing it at the earliest so that both countries could maximize the trade potential.

He thanked the Turkish President for playing a constructive role in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

The Prime Minister shared details of Pakistan's strong credentials in non-proliferation as well as nuclear safety and security which make it an ideal candidate for NSG membership.

Erdogan, whose country shares a warm and traditional relationship with Pakistan, also offered Turkey’s cooperation in resolving the issue while he felt the resolution of the dispute lies in dialogue between India and Pakistan.

“The events in Kashmir continues to hurt our conscience,” he said in his address to a joint session of the Pakistan Parliament which was attended Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif besides Chief Ministers of Punjab, Sindh among others.

“We are aware of the distress and suffering of our Kashmiri brothers and sisters. We are deeply concerned about the increase of tension.”

He said the situation in Kashmir once again demonstrated the importance and the urgency of the solution of this issue.The resolution of this dispute lies in dialogue between Pakistan and India for which Turkey is ready to extend any cooperation, he added.

He said the international community should exert further efforts in order to solve this issue, which has political and humanitarian dimensions, according to justice and law.

Earlier, after extensive talks with Prime Minister Sharif, Erdogan held a joint press conference wherein he said that they talked about the situation in Kashmir. Erdogan said:

“Our brothers and sisters in Kashmir are suffering because of escalating tensions along the Line of Control (LoC) and Kashmir, which can no longer be ignored.”

He stressed on the importance of dialogue to address the thorny issue.

Erdogan also talked about terrorism and said peace was not possible in the world and in the Muslim countries until the terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda were tackled.

He said these terrorist organisations were bringing bad name to the Islam, a religion of peace.

“We should eliminate these bunches of killers, who have no other skill than to shed Muslims’ blood, from the Islamic world and from all over the world as soon as possible.”

Erdogan also lambasted what his government has termed the Fethullah Terror Organisation for allegedly supporting a coup against him and said it was a threat to other countries.

Erdogan also highlighted Turkey’s historical relations with Pakistan, calling the two as “real brothers”, which always have been sharing each other’s joy and grief.

“Our target is to further expand multidimensional relationship with Pakistan in different fields including defense, culture, education and health. We also want to set the target of enhancing the bilateral trade to USD 1 billion.”

Talking about the regional situation, the Turkish leader said that strong relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan were vital for peace and security in the region.

He left for Lahore after parliament address to attend a banquet hosted in his honour.

AUSTIN, Texas — Although their homelands are separated by almost 2,500 miles, Palestinians and Kashmiris share a struggle for liberation and the right to self-determination against occupying forces backed by the might of the American military-industrial complex.

While the shrinking Palestinian homeland dwindles in size among Israel’s ever-expanding illegal settlements, Kashmir is caught on the border between India and Pakistan, both of which would lay claim to the land despite members of the Kashmiri ethnic group supporting independence.

“There are about 500,000 military personnel in the region — in other words, one soldier for 25 civilians. The Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society reports more than 70,000 killings, about 10,000 enforced disappearances and 7,000 mass graves.”

When members of either group fight back against apartheid-style policies, whether through nonviolent protest or in direct retaliation to state violence, they tend to be deemed “terrorists” by mainstream media. This terminology doesn’t just obscure their right to fight for independence from occupation, it also supports their continued oppression. Osuri noted:

“This terror frame supports the economy of arms trade between India, Israel and the United States. In this story … Kashmiri and Palestinian quests for self-determination are reduced to neighbouring Muslim or Arab states causing unrest.”

“Since the 1990s, through a decade of armed struggle against the Indian state, state violence in Kashmir has taken its toll,” Osuri wrote, noting a recent crackdown by Indian forces in which hundreds were blinded or maimed by pellet guns. Osuri reported:

“The dead numbered more than 70, and 6,000 or more were injured. These numbers continue to rise. Yet, Kashmiris continue to protest against the Indian state and call for Azadi (freedom).”

The United Nations has repeatedly condemned the actions of the occupying powers of India and Israel as war crimes, yet this has failed to result in any measurable improvement in the human rights of the Kashmiri or Palestinian peoples.

“Despite a long history of wide cultural and trade links the people of Kashmir share with Pakistan, which precede its modern creation as a nation-state, most Kashmiri favor independence from both India and Pakistan,” noted Tariq Mir, a journalist based in Pakistan, in an analysis published on Sept. 26 by Boston Review.

The latest wave of protests and unrest began with the death of Burhan Muzaffar Wani, the 22-year-old leader of the Hizbul Mujahideen insurgency who was killed by Indian paramilitary police on July 8, during the third day of an Eid al-Fitr celebration, one of the most important holidays in Islam.

Kashmiris tend to divide their support between resistance groups representing various ideologies, including the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, which seeks independence for Kashmir. The Hizbul Mujahideen insurgency is a pro-Pakistan resistance group influenced by Jamat-i-Islami, a group linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. Despite these differences, according to Mir, “for the most part populist sentiment continued to favor all Kashmiri guerilla fighters, regardless of their particular political bent, so long as they resisted India.”

As news spread of of Wani’s death thousands flooded the streets of Tral, his hometown. “Soon as many as 250,000 people—perhaps the largest gathering in Kashmir in recent times—packed the town’s narrow streets, open fields, and orchards,” Mir wrote.

With India and Israel able to commit war crimes with the implicit support of the United States, Osuri wrote that “transnational solidarity and activism are urgent when almost every nation-state seems rogue.”

Joining the dots between the occupations of Kashmir and Palestine shows the need for a greater solidarity between these two sovereignty struggles.”

In October 2011, journalist Tara Dorabji visited Kashmir to report on tensions that continue to simmer even between moments of popular uprising. Dorabji wrote:

“The torture and death can be buried no longer. … Kashmiri children grow up watching graveyards populate their villages. As people are buried, the community holds their story, the memory. Oral history is their biggest weapon against India’s brutal occupation. Even under occupation, the stories of the dead cannot be silenced.”

Dorabji saw great hope in the future of Kashmir to create a new kind of indigenous-led nation, writing:

“Perhaps if the nonviolent, popular movement of Kashmir is allowed self-determination a new brand of democracy will be born: a democracy that is not founded on control through military domination—one that does not wave the flag of democracy to cover up genocide.”

This image of grieving 9-year-old boy becomes a symbol of Kashmir's suffering

March, 16, 2017Nine-year-old Burhan Fayaz is seen crying at the funeral of his friend Amir Nazir, a civilian who was killed during an encounter in Pulwama last week. This photo, taken by HT photographer Waseem Andrabi, is being shared widely on social media.

A picture, it is said, is worth a thousand words and a photograph of an anguished Kashmiri boy with tears rolling down his cheeks said volumes last week about the human suffering sweeping the region.
The snapshot, taken at the funeral of a teenager killed in Padgampora of Pulwama in south Kashmir, is already being described by some as the defining image of the tragedy: Something as powerful as that of a young man seeking to block the advance of tanks in China's Tiananmen Square or that of the lifeless body of Aylan Kurdi who perished while trying to escape the Syrian war.

The Kashmiri boy catapulted to public gaze, however, considers himself no celebrity. For nine-year-old Burhan Fayaz, the picture just captured his angst and despair at losing his best friend, Amir. "I am still sad," the student of Class 3 in Begumbagh's government primary school said.

Amir, a student of Class 9, died after being hit by a bullet in the neck. His family says he was 'targeted' while the police say the villain was a 'stray bullet'. Thousands, including Burhan, attended the funeral in his Begumbagh village.

"Amir was like my brother. Who will I play with now," an inconsolable Burhan asks now.

Once circulated on social media, his despairing image tugged hearts, moving many even to write poems.

A blog site, With Kashmir, published a poem on Burhan's photo titled "A tribute to the innocent face" which went: "Let the world answer his tears/Let the world watch his heart break/Let the world listen to his cries..."

National Conference spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu tweeted, "Should make us pause and think - are we all doing enough to prevent this pain and misery." Even HT's battle-hardened photographer Waseem Andrabi, who clicked the picture, has not been left untouched. "As I focused my zoom lens on the sea of mourners at the funeral, I saw this boy's face. The way in which he was crying struck me hard. I suddenly realized I might start crying myself," Andrabi recollected. The boy's haunting image kept him awake for several nights. Another photographer, Javed Dar, also clicked photographs of the boy.

Burhan, though, is concerned only about his personal loss."My friend was martyred. But why did he die," he asked, unable to comprehend the violence that has become part of Kashmiri life.

SRINAGAR, India — Three civilians were killed and 28 other people were injured in anti-India protests that erupted Tuesday following a gunbattle between rebels and government forces that killed a rebel in disputed Kashmir, police and witnesses said.

The gunbattle began after police and soldiers cordoned off the southern town of Chadoora following a tip that at least one militant was hiding in a house, said Inspector-General Syed Javaid Mujtaba Gillani.

As the fighting raged, hundreds of residents chanting anti-India slogans marched near the area in an attempt to help the trapped rebel escape.

Witnesses said intense clashes between rock-throwing protesters and government forces erupted just a few hundred meters (yards) from the besieged house, with police and paramilitary soldiers firing shotgun pellets and tear gas to stop the protest.

However, clashes spread to multiple places in the area.

Later, government forces fired into the crowd, killing three civilians, including a teenager, and injuring at least 20 others, police said, adding that eight police and soldiers were also injured in the clashes.

An army officer said one militant was killed in the fighting and one weapon recovered from the site. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with military regulations.

Local residents said troops blasted the house with explosives.

In Srinagar, the main city in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police stopped an ambulance and took custody of the body of a 23-year-old student killed in the protests. The man had been brought to a Srinagar hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Police fired tear gas and swung batons after the dead man’s relatives pleaded that they be allowed to take the body to Chadoora area.

A police officer, speaking on a customary condition of anonymity, said the action was taken to avoid more protests in Chadoora and the body would be handed over to the relatives for burial later Tuesday.

In recent years, Kashmiris, mainly youths, have protected anti-India rebels by engaging troops in street clashes during military operations against the militants.

Rivals India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety. Most people in the Indian-controlled portion favor independence or a merger with Pakistan.

Separatist leaders who challenge India’s sovereignty over Kashmir called for a shutdown and protests on Wednesday against the killing of the three civilians.

Three key leaders, Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik, said in a statement that the killings were “brazen state terrorism.”

Last month, the Indian army chief warned that “tough action” would be taken against stone throwers during counterinsurgency operations. But the anti-India protests and clashes have continued.

Rebels have been fighting against Indian rule in Kashmir since 1989. More than 68,000 people have been killed in the armed uprising and ensuing Indian military crackdown.

A video clip showing a youth tied in front of an army jeep and used as a human shield in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district has gone viral on various social networking sites. The video clip shows a young man tied by ropes in front of the army jeep that is moving in some village of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district that went to by polls on Sunday and re-polls on Thursday. However, the clip was uploaded on the internet soon after services were restored in Kashmir on Thursday evening.

Army spokesman, Col Rajesh Kalia told The Indian Express that army is verifying the credentials of the video. In the clip, an army soldier could be heard saying, “Those who throw stones will meet the same fate.” The video shows the army jeep moving ahead of an army patrol, while some villagers could be overheard that the youth had been picked by the army.

Reacting to this, former chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted, “I understand the outrage the CRPF video generated. I’m also outraged that the video of the youth on the jeep won’t generate the same anger.”

Tanvir Sadiq of the National Conference said this incident has taken place at Gundipora village in Beerwah and termed this incident shocking and shameful.

This comes days after a video clip showing youths assaulting CRPF jawans during bypoll to the Srinagar parliamentary constituency on April 9 went viral.

A man tied to the bonnet of an Indian Army jeep as a human shield once again raised concerns over the violation of human rights by Indian armed forces in held Kashmir.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted the video, noting that: "A warning can be heard saying that stone pelters [in held Kashmir] will meet this fate. This requires an urgent inquiry and follow up now."

anvir Sadiq of the National Conference said this incident has taken place at Gundipora village in Beerwah and termed this incident shocking and shameful.

The video footage shows a man tied to the front of the vehicle in an upright seated, hands and legs bound, as the vehicle drives through the streets blaring Indian armed forces propaganda.

In the latest surge of violence in India-held Kashmir, at least six people were killed and more than two dozen injured on April 9, when police clashed with protesters during a by-election in Srinagar in India-held Kashmir region.

Suspected separatist factions in Kashmir had called for a boycott of the vote, resulting in heightened security and low voter turnout when the polling began

Officials said that it appears that such videos were being circulated with an aim to create fear among people or show the security personnel in poor light.

The Jammu and Kashmir police has directed telecom companies to shut their 3G and 4G services in the Kashmir Valley as the state authorities feel there has been an attempt to spread fear and show security personnel in a bad light through online videos. The Jammu and Kashmir Police has directed the telecom companies to shut their 3G and 4G services in the Valley, official sources said.

The decision was taken after several videos surfaced in recent days, some showing local politicians being threatened by militants in various parts of the Valley and others which showed alleged atrocities by Army, police, CRPF or other para-military forces deputed for Parliamentary by-elections.

Officials said that it appears that such videos were being circulated with an aim to create fear among people or show the security personnel in poor light.

Controversy peaked when a video showing a man tied to an army jeep in Budgam district of central Kashmir on April 9 surfaced when polling was underway for the Srinagar Parliamentary bypoll.

A case has been registered against unknown army personnel for the act. There were videos showing traders and political leaders in Pulwama of South Kashmir being threatened by terrorists at gun point. “Such videos are only aimed at creating scare in general public,” a senior police official said.

Internet services had been barred in the Valley keeping in view the sensitive Srinagar bypoll and were restored on April 13.

More Videos of Kashimiri Youths Being Beaten by Indian Soldiers Surface

It is not yet clear who shot the videos but they are being circulated across the social media platforms, leading to condemnation from the netizens of Kashmir.

April 15, 2017

A day after a video showing a youth tied to an army jeep as a human shield against stone pelting went viral, two videos, showing army soldiers beating up youths and forcing them to chant anti-Pakistan slogans, have surfaced, according to PTI.

In one of the videos, a student of Pulwama Degree College is purportedly seen pinned to the ground by four army personnel and being thrashed with a cane. In the second video, three youths are seen in an army vehicle and being forced by a soldier to abuse Pakistan and chant slogan "Pakistan murdabad". "Azaadi chahiyay tumko? (Do you want freedom?)" the soldier is seen asking the youths before slapping them and hitting them with a stick.

One of the youths in the army vehicle is injured as blood is seen oozing from his forehead in the video. It is not yet clear who shot the videos but they are being circulated across the social media platforms, leading to condemnation from the netizens of Kashmir.

Farooq Ahmad Dar says he was beaten with gun butts and wooden sticks, and paraded through many villages while tied to an army jeep.

By Mudasir Ahmad - 15/04/2017

A civilian who is seen in a videotied to the front of an army jeepas a human shield in Kashmir’s Budgam district said he was paraded through several villages for nearly five hours before his family members and villagers got him released from the army’s custody in the evening.

The incident occurred on April 9 during the by-election for the Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary constituency. Eight civilians were killed in firing by security forces that day as mobs tried to attack some polling stations in the constituency, which witnessed the lowest ever turnout – 7% – in its electoral history.

Ironically, 26-year-old Farooq Ahmad Dar, a resident of Chil village in Beerwah sub-district, was among the few villagers who turned out to cast their vote on that day. He still has his voter slip serial number – 612 – to prove it.

Later that morning, Dar was riding his bike to attend a condolence meeting at his brother-in-law’s house in Gampora village when he was picked up by the army.

Narrating the incident, Dar, a shawl weaver, told The Wire that he was stopped by the forces in Utligam village, a few kilometres before Gampora, where some women were protesting against the elections.
“They damaged my bike, thrashed me severely with gun butts and wooden sticks and in an almost unconscious state tied me to the front of the jeep and paraded me through 10 to 20 villages.”

In the video, which has been widely shared on social media sites, Dar, wearing a pheran (a traditional winter cloak) and jeans, is seen tied to the bonnet of the moving army jeep which is being followed by an anti-mine vehicle and a bus ferrying army men. As the vehicles pass, a voice can be heard warning: “Aisa haal hoga pather waloun ka, yeah haal hoga (Those who pelt stones will meet the same fate).”
“There was no stone pelting going on in the area when the army men picked me up and neither did any stone pelting take place on the [army] vehicles when I was being paraded,” said Dar.

There was also a white piece of paper strapped to Dar’s pheran. “It had something written on it but I could only read my name,” he said.

In a state of shock, Dar, with his left forearm bandaged, said he believed that fact that he was still alive is a “miracle”. “At one point I had given up the hope of returning home alive… I thought all my bones have been broken as my entire body was in pain due to ruthless beating. I was in shock, not able to understand what do to as the forces kept threatening me in case I speak to anybody moving on the road. I was pleading with them to leave me but they wouldn’t listen,” said Dar, adding he was first taken to the CRPF camp at Hardapanzu village in the afternoon where he was bundled into a vehicle and then taken to the Raiyari camp of the local army unit.

“I thought my end is near but I kept praying and hoping that people who had seen me would inform my family,” said Dar, the youngest of three brothers who lives with his mother, Faizi Begum.

His elder brother, Fayaz Ahmad, told The Wire that when they came to know about the incident, they rushed to seek the police’s help to get his brother released. “But when we didn’t get any help from anywhere, some of our family members, including women, villagers and the local sarpanch approached the army camp in the evening. We pleaded with the army that he [Dar] is not a stone-pelter and it was only then that they allowed us to take him home,” said Ahmad.

Since his release, Dar said, he hadn’t left his house due to the continuous pain he is in. “I have never ever in my life hurled stones on forces. But I am not able to understand why I was beaten ruthlessly and then tied to the vehicle. What was my crime?” asked Dar.

Former chief minister Omar Abdullah, who represents the Beerwah constituency, describing it as “shocking”. “This young man was TIED to the front of an army jeep to make sure no stones were thrown at the jeep? This is just so shocking!!!! #Kashmir,”Abdullah tweeted. “A warning can be heard (in the video) saying stone pelters will meet this fate. This requires an urgent inquiry and follow up NOW.”

'I will never vote again': Kashmiri man used as 'human shield' describes his journey of humiliation

Farooq Dar said that he defied calls to boycott Sunday's bye-poll. He ended up being paraded through several villages, strapped to the front of an Army jeep.

By Rayan Naqash – 4/15/2017

When bye-elections were held for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat last Sunday, only 7.1% of registered votes actually turned up at the booths. In Budgam district, only 31,476 people cast their votes. Among them was 26-year-old shawl maker Farooq Ahmad Dar, a resident of Chil village. He said that he left his home early that morning to make his way to the polling station at the local middle school.

He would return home that night with his left arm broken by the Army, after having being paraded through several villages strapped to the front of a military jeep, serving as a human shield on a day marked by violence that left eight civilians dead.
The soldiers “played with me like I was a toy”, Dar said on Saturday. “Am I a human being or an animal?”

After the ballot

But on Saturday morning, as Dar and his relatives in his home in Chil tried to make sense of the the “zulum” – oppression – that had been meted out to him, they insisted that there was no violence in the area in which the young man had been picked up and that he wasn’t the sort to hurl stones at the security voices.

This is how Dar said his day proceeded. After he cast his vote in Chil, 33 km from Srinagar, he said that he got on to his motor cycle to attend a condolence meeting at his sister’s house in Gampora village, 20 kms away. His brother Hilal followed him on another motorcycle.

A few kilometres before their destination, at Utligam village, Dar said he was stopped by an army patrol.

The patrol consisting of at least 17 personnel was led by a major, Dar said. The security men surrounded him and pulled him off his motorcycle. After looking at his identity card, they questioned him about why he was so far from his home. They then began to beat him up and accused him of being a stone pelter. But, said Dar, there were no visible disturbances in the area when the stopped him.
“They thrashed me for 20 minutes,” Dar said, adding that after the beating, they attempted to push him into a stream. “My leg was immersed in the water but I managed to push myself back and got back up.”

The soldiers then tied him to a vehicle and paraded him “through 10-20 villages” with a piece of paper attached to his chest declaring that he was a stone pelter, Dar said. He said he did not have a clear recollection of events that transpired when he was tied up. “I was not in my senses,” he said.

One memory that did stand out, though, was that the people of Khospora village tried to get him released. “But the RR [Rashtriya Rifles] men told them that they would not let me go as I was a stone pelter,” Dar said. “But I am not. I am an honest man. The whole area knows that.”

Sonpa, Najan, Chakpora, Hanjiguroo, Khospora, Rawalpora, Arizal, Hardapanzoo are some of some of the villages he remembered passing through. He repeated the names as if he had memorised the trail of his hurt. “They humiliated me publicly,” Dar said.

Dar estimates he was paraded for at least 20 km-25 km but his brother Qadir estimates the distance to have been greater. “He was taken in circles through different villages,” Qadir said. “They must have paraded him for 30 km-40 km.”

At 4 in the evening, Dar said he was taken to a Central Reserve Paramilitary Force camp in Hardapanzoo where, he was “still tied up and not offered water.” Later, Dar said he was taken on another ride, this time inside a jeep. He does not remember the route or where he was being taken but at around 8 pm he was released from the Rayar camp of the army near Arizal.

On Saturday, he recounted his story several times to journalists who had sought him out. “Am I a toy or a human being?” he said. “The government should take action against” the army personnel.
He described the effects of the beating. “There are no bruises over the surface but I am [physically] hurt on the inside,” he said. “I can’t lift my hands. I can’t walk straight, I tremble if I try. They played with me like a football.”

It was two days before he was able to visit a hospital. “I was in so much pain when I came back,” he said. “My neighbours and family that supported me know what i went through.”

The family was still unsure of whether they would file a formal complaint. Dar said that he did not file an FIR that day as he was afraid that the army personnel would harass him even more.

His relatives added that Dar had never pelted stones as he was preoccupied with making ends meet. “He is a very decent person,” said Dar’s cousin Zahid Malla. “He has never indulged in stone pelting. What the army claimed is completely false.”

So far, the army has not made any preliminary statements about the results of its investigation, though officials familiar with the situation told Scroll.in that it was clear that Dar’s contention that he had been used as a human shield seemed to have been established.

On Saturday, Dar said many things in his life seemed a little uncertain. To begin with, he wasn’t sure how he would make a living over the next few weeks. With his left hand swollen and bandaged, Dar said he would be unable to do the fine embroidery that shawls require. “Look at my hands, can I work now?” he asked. “Did they leave me able to work?”

But there was one thing that was absolutely sure of: that he had lost his faith in the democratic process. Said Dar: “I used to vote but won’t do so anymore.”

A 17-year-old was reportedly shot dead by security forces on April 15 in Indian-administered Kashmir while at least 50 college students were wounded by police officers who fired pellets and tear gas.

Video showing Indian soldiers using physical abuse sparked anger leading to violent clashes between police and protesting students outside Government Degree College Pulwama.

Indian police, assisted by paramilitary troops, created a checkpoint outside the college to arrest the boys who they said were involved in stone-throwing incidents.

Police used tear gas to disperse the protesters but the clashes intensified when pellets were fired, leaving many students injured, including Zeeshan Ahmed, who was injured in the head.

More than 15 students were admitted to the district hospital in Pulwama on the same day. Most of them suffered pellet injuries to their eyes. Zeeshan was later transferred to a hospital in Srinagar for specialised treatment, a senior doctor at Pulwama hospital told a local newspaper.

Mass protests then broke out as a result, with students from other colleges, including a girls' college, taking part.

The day-long protests and clashes on April 17 left more than 50 students injured.

Security lock-down ahead of commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat's funeral cripples life in Kashmir on first day of Ramadan.

5/30/2017

Thousands of people on Sunday defied a strict curfew across most of Indian-administered [Occupied] Kashmir to attend the funeral of a top rebel commander killed by security forces.

Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, a senior leader of the Hizbul Mujahideen group, was fatally shot on Saturday in a gun battle with government troops in his hometown of Tral.

His death sparked widespread protests and clashes in parts of Kashmir, leaving one civilian dead and dozens of others wounded.
On Sunday, the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, authorities imposed strict security measures, erecting barricades in Srinagar and other cities, as well as partially cutting telephone services to thwart further protests.

"People were walking on foot to take part in the funeral," 27-year-old Abid Ahmad, who traveled from Srinagar to Tral, told Al Jazeera.

"But then we took alternate routes to reach there."

'Suffocating restrictions'

The lockdown in the mainly Muslim region crippled life across most of Kashmir.
Srinagar's central mosque remained shut and devotees were barred from offering prayers on the first day of the Ramadan fasting period.

"Restrictions have been put in place today so that mobs don't gather and incite violence," Shesh Pal Vaid, a police spokesman in Srinagar, told Al Jazeera.

"The situation is under control."
Authorities cut off internet mobile and calling services on Saturday, just hours after a month-long ban on 22 social media sites like Facebook and Twitter ended.

"It is very suffocating to have curfew on the first day of the holy month," Parvez Ahmad, a Srinagar resident, told Al Jazeera.

"The phones are blocked and mobile internet is shut. Everything is shut."

He added: "It's very disturbing. We don't know what is going to happen in the next moment and how much the situation would escalate."
Last year, nearly 100 protesters were killed after Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani was killed, triggering months of anti-India protests.

Anti-India sentiment runs deep in the Kashmir valley, where most people favour independence or a merger with Pakistan.

The region has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947. Both claim the disputed territory in its entirety.

Several armed rebel groups are fighting against Indian rule in Kashmir, with tens of thousands of people, most of them civilians, killed in the nearly three decades-old fighting.

Kashmir police officer suspected of recruiting rebels then killing them

Shiv Kumar Sharma (hindu) accused of convincing locals to become insurgents then turning them in or killing them to receive rewards

A top counterinsurgency officer in Indian-controlled Kashmir has been arrested and is suspected of encouraging men to join rebel groups before turning them in or killing them to receive rewards, police said on Wednesday.
Sub-inspector Shiv Kumar Sharma and his bodyguard were arrested on Tuesday for alleged links to a militant cell involved in a grenade attack in April on a police station in the disputed Himalayan region, said police officer Ashkoor Wani.

Their alleged link to the grenade attack was discovered last month after the arrest of five men accused of carrying it out, Wani said. He said the five named Sharma as the mastermind of the attack.

Another police officer, who spoke on customary condition of anonymity, said the two are now the focus of a wider investigation into charges that they convinced local men to become insurgents in Indian Kashmir and then turned them in or killed them to receive rewards and promotions.

Experts and human rights workers say India's control over Kashmir through its military and its policy of rewards for officers who arrest or kill suspected rebels has deepened corruption in the police and the army. They routinely accuse the security forces of taking bribes, selling military supplies on the black market, and aiding and benefiting from timber smuggling.
Illegally detaining, torturing and killing rebel suspects for rewards and promotions have been regular accusations against the troops for years.

Sharma is credited with killing at least 68 alleged militants over 15 years in Indian Kashmir, and has been awarded India's highest gallantry honour in the past.

"He would motivate young men to join militancy through his vast spy network and then get them arrested or even killed to win rewards and promotions," the second police officer said.

The arrests have rattled Indian authorities who administer and police the tense region against insurgents who are fighting for independence or merger with neighbouring Pakistan. [insurgets/militants = freedom fighters]

"It's shocking news for all of us. He was so effective in fighting against militants," said another officer, who has worked with Sharma and also spoke on customary condition of anonymity.

Sharma joined counterinsurgency operations in Indian Kashmir as a "special police officer", part of a semi-official grouping run on special funding from India's ministry of home affairs.

He soon became a big name in the region's efforts to control the decades-long separatist insurgency and was rewarded with promotions.

Since 1989, the violent insurgency and the ensuing crackdown by Indian forces have killed an estimated 68,000 people in Kashmir. Although the armed rebellion has been largely suppressed, public resentment against Indian rule remains deep and the resistance is now principally expressed through street protests.

Khurram Parvez, a human rights worker in Kashmir, said an important element in the case is to "probe how many of his kills were innocents he lured and recruited as militants".

In December, Parvez and other rights workers published a report that dismissed India's past claims that acts of brutality by Indian troops were aberrations. The report named, for the first time, nearly 500 specific police, military and paramilitary soldiers suspected of crimes, which include rape, murder and kidnapping. The government has not investigated the report's findings.
"Indian officials have committed these crimes with total impunity to retain control over Kashmir," Parvez said.

People took to the streets, hold nocturnal pro-freedom rallies to celebrate Pakistan's spectacular performance against India

By Junaid Nabi Bazaz - June 19, 2017

Pakistan's thrilling win against India in the Champions Trophy final on Sunday saw celebrations erupt on streets. The joy began in the afternoon, when India asked Pakistan to bat and the first boundary crossed the fence. Firecrackers began to burst and continued till late night. In between, when Pakistan finished its innings at 337, an Imam at a Sopore mosque prayed 'Khudaya Aaze Izzat (Oh Allah give us respect today)' which was responded by everyone with an Ameen.

While Pakistan was still to crush the Indian team by 180 runs, mosques at many places hummed with pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans. The Pakistan anthem was played at many places as well. In downtown Srinagar, youth fired crackers continuously. When Pakistan was close to defeating India, youth gathered at marketplaces across Kashmir blasting crackers one after the other.

"It does not matter now when will Pakistan win next. For now, each moment is to be cherished," said a youngster Arif Ahmad at Karan Nagar chowk. In Srinagar's downtown, pro-freedom rallies were taken out to celebrate Pakistan's win. At Safa Kadal, dozens of youth raising pro-Pakistan slogans, pro-Lashkar and pro-Islam slogans, burst crackers. Youth carrying Pakistan flag took out a rally at Darish Kadal. Similar celebrations were held in south Kashmir and north Kashmir.

Youth took out a protest march near main market Hajin and raised slogans in favour of Pakistan and Azadi.
Inside the Kashmir University campus, students celebrated the win in their hostels. At the moment Pakistani skipper Sarfraz Ahmad walked forward with a big smile to raise the Champions Trophy, there was a chorus of raucous shouting in one of its auditoriums. The students soon assembled outside and moved towards the humanities block. An audio clip of women students shouting pro-Pakistan slogans was uploaded soon on social networking sites.

"Jeeve jeeve Pakistan, teri jaan meri jaan, Pakistan Pakistan" and "Hum Pakistani hai aur Pakistan hamara hai (We are Pakistani and Pakistan is ours)" were some of slogans that reverberated in the campus.

In the old city, when the stock of crackers had been exhausted, people gave money to buy another lot. The sky was lit up by firecrackers till late night.

"For a long time we were waiting for this victory. Thank God that He heard our prayers," a boy named Rameez Bhat said.

At many places, government troops had burst crackers too, rejoicing whenever a Pakistani wicket fell and when Hardik Pandya hit three sixes off Pakistani leg spinner Shadab Khan. That rejoicing did not last long, as Hardik Pandya was run out soon afterwards.

Police had issued advisory in advance to its men to prevent any 'untoward incident' during or after the cricket match.

People in Kashmir had been upset for a while with the Pakistani team's poor performance against India. Kashmiri have been cheering for Pakistan ever since the country came into being. Many Kashmiri students studying in India were attacked last year for cheering for Pakistan.

A prominent Kashmir rebel leader recently blacklisted as a terrorist by the United States vowed on Saturday to continue fighting until India relinquishes control of the disputed Himalayan region.
“We will not end this fight without liberating Kashmir from India,” Syed Salahuddin, who heads the Hizbul Mujahideen militant group, said amid tight security in a news conference in Muzaffarabad, the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir.

The US State Department classified 71-year-old Salahuddin as a “global terrorist” on the eve of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington last month, a decision the militant leader said was only made to appease India. He said Hizbul Mujahideen only targets Indian forces and that the Daesh group and Al-Qaeda have no presence in Kashmir.

“Donald Trump’s decision will be thrown out if anyone challenges it in American courts,” he said. “No other Western nation has endorsed what this crazy Donald Trump has done,” he said.
Salahuddin called on the United Nations to implement its resolutions and give Kashmir’s people the right to vote on independence or merging with Pakistan. He said Hizbul Mujahideen may consider peace talks with India if Russia or China can guarantee that such talks would produce results.

Salahuddin later led a rally in the city and praised Pakistan for continued support in Kashmir. India accuses Pakistan of backing Kashmir insurgents in the region split between the two nations, a charge Islamabad denies. The nuclear-armed South Asian rivals claim the territory in its entirety, having fought two of their three wars over it since 1947.

Salahuddin is based in Pakistan’s part of Kashmir and often addresses public rallies there.

On Monday, Salahuddin had called for a “Week of Resistance,” including two days of strikes starting July 8. That’s the anniversary of last year’s killing of Burhan Wani, a young protest leader whose death enraged people across Kashmir.

Islamabad on Saturday handed over to New Delhi a list of 546 Indian prisoners being held in Pakistan, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. Under an accord, Pakistan and India routinely exchange lists of each other’s prisoners on July 1.

July has always been a `bloody’ month in Jammu Kashmir. Since July 13, 1931 blood continues to soak this `sacred’ land. This July has been no different. So far around fifty people have fallen to bullets and pellets.

Historians agree that the July 13 massacre outside the Srinagar Central Jail changed the course of Kashmir history. However, it could not change the destiny of this fateful nation, they believe. And, July continues to test the valour of the Kashmir.

Twenty-six years ago, the state government then headed by Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah ordered a probe into excesses committed by army men. The findings of the probe have not been made public to this day.

Eyewitnesses said a group of army men in civvies armed with hockey sticks and iron rods appeared in Lal Chowk on July 26, 1980 and created mayhem. They said the group damaged Taxis, private cars and government property. Civilians were thrashed. The group also resorted to loot and arson, they added. It is believed that an army driver had hit a Rickshaw at Sonawar around two kilometers from the city centre. The driver was taken into custody. “A group of army men came out of the barracks and went berserk to free the driver from police lockup.

A senior police officer also received a sound thrashing and lost some of his teeth. The mayhem lasted several hours,” the witnesses said. According to them, the army men broke into several groups beating people, looting shops and damaging vehicles from Sonawar to Batmaloo. “The mayhem evoked severe reaction from the local population. Stone pelting continued till late hours and the next day. The police resorted to firing killing six people including a Pakistani national,” they said.

The demonstrations, witnesses said, continued for several days. An army Jeep was torched near Budshah Bridge. However, the driver managed escape after firing several rounds from his gun. All activity in the city came to a halt. All educational institutions were closed down indefinitely.

Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah was the Chief Minister then and lived at his Moulana Azad Residence barely one hundred meters away from the city centre where the army men wreaked havoc. Somebody informed the protesters that Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah had gone to Badami Bagh Cantonment where the army officers urged him to recognize the culprits. It was further stated that he (Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah) could not recognize the persons responsible for the mayhem. While this could not be confirmed immediately, it added fuel to the anger. The demonstrations intensified.

The probe was never completed and the incident stands forgotten. On July 2, 1992 a tyre burst at Hari Singh High Street evoked a violent reaction from the CRPF troops stationed there. They opened fire killing six civilians. Four days later on July 6, the BSF men subjected Ishbar locality in the outskirts of Srinagar to indiscriminate firing and killed 7 civilians.

Once again blood was shed on July 13, 1992 at Nasrullapora, Budgam. The army opened fire killing ten persons on the spot. On the first day of July in 1993, the troops fired at unarmed civilians at Baba Reshi in Baramulla district killing 9 persons/pilgrims on the spot. And, on July 30 same year, 12 civilians were killed and around a hundred injured when troops opened fire in Hangubutch, Pulwama district. A magisterial probe was announced but never completed.

Five years later in 1998, sixteen civilians were killed in two Doda villages on July 28. In 2001, 13 civilians were gunned down in Sheshnag in Anantnag district. On July 22, 2001, twelve innocent civilians of a particular community were massacred in Cheerji and Tagood in Doda district of Jammu by gunmen. And yet again, July 13 (2002) proved disastrous for Qasimpora residents in Jammu region. Twenty-eight civilians fell to bullets.

Curiously, in most of the cases where armed forces were involved, the government responded by saying that the persons got killed during cross fire between the security forces and the militants.

The parents of the deceased seeking ex-gratia were made to solicit affidavits stating that their wards got killed during cross fire. This way, the government bailed out the trigger happy armed forces.

In 2010 Kashmir erupted yet again. Around 130 people got killed. However, July remained comparatively calm. Only two persons identified as Muzaffar Ahmad Bhat, 17, of Gung Bugh, Srinagar and Fancy Jan, a 24-year-old woman from Danderkhah (Sidiqabad) Batmaloo got killed on July 5 and 6 respectively.

Last year (2016), the Hizbul Mujahideen commander, Burhan Muzaffar Wani got killed in South Kashmir. People came out to register protest. They wanted to reach Burhan’s home town, they were intercepted and fired upon. Scores fell to bullets and what followed in the coming days reflects the ruthlessness of a dispensation that believed in healing touch and battle of ideas.

Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) has called for a shutdown and a peaceful sit-in outside the UN office in Sonwar today.

Jul 21 2017.

A complete shutdown is being observed in Kashmir to protest against the recent civilian killings in forces’ action.

All shops and other business establishments are closed while public transport is off the roads in Srinagar – region’s main city.

Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) has called for a shutdown and a peaceful sit-in outside the UN office in Sonwar today.

The sit-in protest would be organized against arbitrary curfews and restrictions in the valley, beating and injuring of people, curbs and persecution of leadership to the extent of disallowing them from participating in family funerals by force, JRL had said, in a statement.

Anger Rises in Kashmir As Killings by Army Continue and Justice Remains Elusive

By Mudasir Ahmad on 27/07/2017

Tanveer Ahmad Wani’s death, which the police and army say was in response to stone pelting, is the eighth killing in Beerwah since the 2016 uprising and has only added to the anger across Valley.

Beerwah, Jammu and Kashmir: Past the breathtaking karewas and vast expanses of swaying paddy fields, Degree College in Beerwah is located at an idyll stop atop a hillock, which offers a panoramic view of the Valley encircled by Pir Panjal forests. On Wednesday (July 26), students huddled under the shade of apple trees to remember Tanveer Ahmad Wani, a young tailor who was killed by the army on the afternoon of July 21 in Beerwah’s main market.

Twenty-four year old Tanveer lived in a locality opposite to the college and was known to most students who vouched for his innocence. “It was a cold-blooded murder, but the irony is that police has failed to make any arrests so far,” the students voiced.

The killing, which has triggered outrage in Beerwah, took place three months after Major Leetul Gogoi, of the 53 Rashtriya Rifles, strapped a civilian to the bonnet of a jeep as a human shield and paraded him through several villages. It is this army unit now under fire over Tanveer’s killing.

The incident

Tanveer was hit with two bullets – one in the mouth that exited through the back of his skull, the other in his thigh – by soldiers from a patrol party following a “loud sound” in the market before Friday prayers.

Witnesses who spoke to The Wire said some students from a nearby school burst a cracker or an inflated juice tetra pack, which made the loud noise. “Within no time, the patrol – consisting of eight to ten men – ran amok and started beating people,” said a group of drivers at the taxi stand.

A tea stall owner at the stand said many vendors became victims of the troopers’ anger as they patrolled through the main bus stand. “We thought they had gone but almost 20 minutes later there were gun shots that killed Tanveer,” he said.

The distance between the place where children had presumably burst crackers or a juice pack, and the spot on the Beerwah-Magam road – outside the bus stand – where Tanveer was shot, is around 300 meters.

Ghulam Nabi Dar, who runs a news agency in the market, almost 100 meters away from the spot, said that as the patrol party walked past his shop, they grabbed a young boy by his collar and took him along.

“The boy cried for help and a small group of youth started shouting at troopers to leave him,” said Dar, adding that at this time, Tanveer – who worked at the shop opposite to his – was heading home for lunch.

“The beating of the young boy had caught everybody’s attention. More people started shouting in anger, though nobody dared to go close to the troopers. Some children from nearby streets connecting to the main road hooted the troopers. That is when they opened fire,” said another shopkeeper. “The next moment, we saw Tanveer lying on the road while the boy was still crying for help.”

Key eyewitness accounts

While Tanveer died on the spot, another young boy, Muhammad Ibrahim, received a bullet injury in his shoulder. The Wire also located the young boy, Rayees Ahmad, who was taken along by the troopers and was freed only after the killing.

After initial reluctance, the families allowed the two boys to speak to The Wire. Ahmad, a class X student who lives in a locality barely 50 meters from the spot where Tanveer was killed, had gone to the market to get bread for evening tea.

A young boy who loves fishing, Ahmad said he saw the soldiers coming from the opposite direction. “The baker shouted at me to run but they [the soldiers] caught hold of me and one of them hit me with a gun. They tore off my clothes. I resisted but one of them slapped me. I started to bleed from my nose. They were dragging me along when I saw people shouting at Tanveer to run. Suddenly, one of the soldiers turned and fired in the direction of youth. He [Tanveer] fell down. Another boy [Ibrahim] who got injured was crying for help,” recalled Ahmad.

He said while he was being taken away “a stone was thrown at the troopers from somewhere.” “That is all. There was no stone pelting. The youth didn’t come to rescue me while I was bleeding,” he said.

Ibrahim, who lives in Gourpur, almost three kilometers from the market and on the backside of the Degree College, is recuperating at his home.

“I was on my way to meet my father when the troopers walked past me along with the boy [Ahmad]. Some youth were shouting at them [the soldiers] to release the boy… I had just turned back to see the boy who was crying when a bullet hit me. Next, I saw Tanveer lying on the road and bleeding profusely. I somehow ran into a nearby street wherefrom I was rushed to the hospital,” said Ahmad.

He too dismissed the allegations of stone throwing by the youth on the patrol party. “Nothing of that sort happened,” he recalled.
Contradictory versions

Later in the evening, army’s spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia told the media that an army patrol was “subjected to heavy stone pelting by a mob” in Kondur village near Beerwah.

“In no time, the numbers swelled and the intensity of stone pelting increased. Some stone pelters tried to close in with the patrol and snatch weapons from the soldiers. Two persons were reportedly injured when troops opened fire… one of them succumbed later,” Kalia said.

The police, however, contradicted the statement. “Some miscreants pelted the patrol with stones and someone among them hurled a fire cracker towards the army men. Because of the bang, the army men thought a grenade was hurled and they retaliated,” the statement said.

The police have registered a case (FIR NO 74/2017) under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) against the 53 Rashtriya Rifles, a copy of which has been accessed by The Wire.

‘No hope for justice’

At his newly constructed house, Tanveer’s father, Muhammad Akbar Wani, a stone querier, has just one question: “Why hasn’t the police registered murder cases against the army? Didn’t they kill my son? What proof do they [ the police] need more?” While section 307 of the RPC defines “attempt to murder,” section 302 of the RPC is invoked when a murder case is registered.

“We are investigating the case and have already recorded statement of some eyewitnesses. If need arises we will change the case and register it under section 302,” said a senior police officer of Budgam district.

Tanveer’s is the eighth killing in Beerwah since the summer uprising in 2016 and has only added to the brewing anger across the Valley.

“The registration of cases by police in the civilian killings and the announcements of magisterial probes and investigation is a tactic to pacify public anger. There has been no indictment of any accused troopers or policemen in a single case of civilian killing since 2016 uprising which speaks volumes about the prevailing justice system,” said noted human rights lawyer Parvez Imroz.

During the summer uprising in Kashmir last year post the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, nearly 100 people were killed in firing by the government forces. Though the government in February ordered probes into the killing by district-level special investigation teams of the J&K police, there is no word from either the government or the police about the outcome of these probes.

“The non-action on part of the government has led to helplessness among people – particularly the youth. In such a scenario, when political uncertainty has already deepened, Kashmir’s younger generation believes that the rebellion is the only way to get their rights because here is no hope for justice,” said political analyst Noor M. Baba.

Another killing, another case registered

Two days before Tanveer’s killing, Mohammad Abdullah Ganai, 60, died at a Srinagar hospital after he was shot by the army following an altercation between them and civilians over thrashing of youth by the former in Hussainpora village in Anantnag.

Along with a group of locals, Ganai had staged a protest against the alleged beating of a youth. “They were arguing with soldiers over the incident when someone from the troopers opened fire, injuring Ganai,” said a local shopkeeper in Goriwan locality where the incident took place.

Though the police had initially registered cases under section 307 of RPC, it was converted to section 302 after Ganai’s death. So far the police has, however, neither made any arrest in the case nor questioned any of the accused soldiers.

A mutton shop owner, Ganai was the sole bread earner of his family, which includes his wife, two daughters and three sons.

This year alone, around 25 civilians have been killed in alleged firing by forces after army chief Bipin Rawat warned of stern action against those who disrupt counter-insurgency operations. In some cases, like that of Tanveer, eyewitnesses have said the victims were not even pelting stones.

“Had the government taken some concrete action in the human shield case or brought the accused troopers involved in civilian killing since the 2016 uprising to book, Tanveer and other innocent civilians wouldn’t have lost their lives,” said independent legislator Er Rashid.

Victims gather in a Srinagar park to remember their loved ones, some of whom have not been seen for decades.

Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir - In a central park in Kashmir's Srinagar, relatives of the disappeared gather for a day of remembrance and mourning.

Some burst into tears as they hold photographs of their lost loved ones, some of whom have been missing for years and whose fate remains unknown.

It is the International Day of the Disappeared and these families have one simple question: are their loved ones dead or alive?

They have waited years for any sign of them.

They have visited graveyards, morgues, prisons and torture centres, but found no trace of their missing kin.

The families were brought together by Parveena Ahanger, a 55-year-old woman whose own teenage son disappeared in 1990.

Ahanger heads the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) and tells Al Jazeera that the group will continue to protest and appeal to the international community until they are informed about their missing relatives.

"We want to ask the government what they have done to our sons," Ahanger says. "Have they been killed in fake encounters or are they buried in unknown graves?"

The APDP says that at least 8,000 people have gone missing in enforced disappearances by Indian government forces since 1989.

Zareefa Bano, from Kupwara district, was nine months pregnant when she last saw her husband in 1990. Ghulam Rasool had herded his cows into a forest. He never returned.

"Who knows about the disappeared?" says Bano, a wrinkled-faced mother of two daughters.

She travelled more than 130km from her village home to Srinagar with her 26-year-old daughter, Zahida, who was born days after Rasool disappeared.

"I never saw him," says Zahida. "Life is very difficult without a father in the family. My mother cannot do all those things which our father would have done. We have been broken all these years."

'We cried so much our tears have dried'

Abdul Aziz Pir's only son, Farooq Ahmad Pir, was a college student when he disappeared in the summer of 1994. Pir says his son was detained by the army and never returned.

00:0000:00
Pir, who looks older than his 60 years, has not stopped searching for him for the past 23 years.

"We have cried so much all these years that our eyes have now become dry," he says.

Officials in Indian-administered Kashmir deny charges they are involved in capturing young men from their families.

Paul Vaid, Jammu and Kashmir police chief, tells Al Jazeera that the question about their whereabouts should be "asked to Pakistan".

"Those who were killed on border, I cannot say anything about them. But many people went to Pakistan and other countries," he said, implying the missing had left to join groups fighting for the separatist cause.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947.

Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety.

Separatist groups have been fighting since 1989 for the Indian-administered portion to become independent or merge with Pakistan.

Nearly 70,000 people have been killed since the uprising and the ensuing Indian military crackdown.

Back at the park, 65-year-old Rehti Begum reflects on her quiet life in Chaki Kawoosa village of Budgam, before her only son went missing.

Begum said Muhammad Ramzan was detained in 1994 by the army. He was never seen again.

"There is no one around with whom I can share my pain," she says.

Her husband died months after their son disappeared and she has since worked odd jobs.

She searched for Ramzan for two decades, even as age took a toll on her health.

"I went to every village, every mountain, every police station and every jail, but I could not see a glimpse of him."

A five-year-old Pakistani girl has been killed when Indian troops purportedly shot her in the head across the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border that separates the disputed Kashmir region between nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India.

The incident occurred in Polas village at Abbaspur sector on the common border on Saturday, when “a lone bullet fired by Indian troops pierced through” the little girl’s head as she “was walking outside her house,” said local government official Tahir Mumtaz.

He went on to say that the girl was immediately taken to a nearby hospital but she succumbed to her severe wounds on the way. The inhabitants of the village, he added, staged a protest rally, denouncing the deadly firing.

The restive region has witnessed a major escalation in mass protests and violence since early July 2016, when Burhan Wani, a top figure in a pro-independence group, was killed in a shootout with Indian troops. Over 100 people have been killed and more than 12,000 others injured in the ensuing crackdown.

India has already deployed some 500,000 soldiers to the disputed region to further boost the security of the borderline and suppress pro-independence demonstrations in its share of Kashmir, where anti-India sentiments are high.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in full by both since the two partitioned and gained independence from Britain in 1947.

Militant groups have also for decades been fighting for independence or a merger with Pakistan. India accuses Pakistan of funding and training militants in Kashmir, a charge that Islamabad has persistently rejected.
The international community has condemned Indian forces' crackdown on dissent and called for a referendum to determine the fate of the region.

The two countries have fought three wars over the disputed territory. Despite a ceasefire agreement that was reached in November 2003, sporadic skirmishes continue in Kashmir and the two neighbors regularly exchange mortar fire across the border.

Last September, tensions reached a boiling point, with both Islamabad and New Delhi blaming each other for cross-border raids.

Back in November, at least nine people lost their lives when Indian cross-border fire targeted a passenger bus in the Neelum Valley, where four Pakistani soldiers were purportedly killed.